Home > Ask the Unified Communications Experts > UC Strategies Questions & Answers > Deciding between Cisco and Alcatel IP telephony
Ask The Unified Communications Expert: Questions & Answers
EMAIL THIS

Deciding between Cisco and Alcatel IP telephony

Carrie Higbie EXPERT RESPONSE FROM: Carrie Higbie

Pose a Question
Other Unified Communications Categories
Meet all Unified Communications Experts
Become an Expert for this site


VoIP news and advice channel
Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google


>
QUESTION POSED ON: 09 May 2007

We are in the process of deciding between Cisco and Alcatel IP telephony.

We are currently a small organization but are expecting to grow. As we acquire other businesses, our intention is to phase out the traditional PBX system and replace with a VoIP system.

Given this information, is one system superior to the other for cost and manageability?


>
EXPERT RESPONSE

Both systems will serve your needs just fine. Things you will want to consider include ease of maintenance, moves, adds and changes, knowledge transfer for both admin and end users, scalability and local support. One advantage that you will likely see with Cisco over Alcatel is the ability to have resources that are versed on the switches allowing you to hire remote contractors for set up and training at the site.

Another area to consider is the interoperability of other phones. It may not be a bad idea to take an inventory of what is out there to see if there is a potential money savings in the headsets.


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google


RELATED CONTENT
Carrie Higbie
The future of VoIP and unified communications
What is the best way to build a distributed VoIP enterprise system?
When switching your business phones to VoIP, can you keep the same numbers?
Understanding the 'free' promises of VoIP
Push-to-talk implementation using SIP protocol
VoIP market predictions for 2008
Call termination gateway requirements
Is there a VoIP phone more suitable for someone with hearing problems?
How can a business ensure VoIP quality of service (QoS)?
What would happen to my VoIP service if the network failed?

Carrie Higbie
The future of VoIP and unified communications
What is the best way to build a distributed VoIP enterprise system?
When switching your business phones to VoIP, can you keep the same numbers?
Understanding the 'free' promises of VoIP
Push-to-talk implementation using SIP protocol
VoIP market predictions for 2008
Call termination gateway requirements
Is there a VoIP phone more suitable for someone with hearing problems?
How can a business ensure VoIP quality of service (QoS)?
What would happen to my VoIP service if the network failed?

UC Strategies
When using VoWIP, how are the free space transmissions between the hand set and the AP secured?
What security practices should I keep in mind when designing my VoIP network?
What is the difference between CRTP and Ethernet?
What equipment is needed to set up a VoIP network from a new satellite service?
What is the difference between a PSTN gateway and media gateway?
Why is SIP not good for transporting large amounts of data?
Is a unified communications application the best fit for a teleworker environment?
What is the difference between a VoIP client and an IMS client?
Can SIP and H.323 run simultaneously on a Cisco CallManager?
Implementing a cost-effective VoIP network

RELATED RESOURCES
2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems
Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts
Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary



Search and Browse the Expert Answer Center
Search and browse more than 25,000 question and answer pairs from more than 250 TechTarget industry experts.
Browse our Expert Advice

About Us  |  Contact Us  |  For Advertisers  |  For Business Partners  |  Site Index  |  RSS
SEARCH 
TechTarget provides enterprise IT professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective IT purchase decisions and managing their organizations' IT projects - with its network of technology-specific Web sites, events and magazines.

TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Reprints  |  Site Map




All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2008, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy
  TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts